This Week In Black History (August 31 – September 6)

August, 31 1935 – Eldridge Cleaver was born in Wabbaseka, AR, was a former Black Panther Party minister of information. Cleaver was famous for his memoir, best-selling collection of essays, “Soul On Ice,” chronicling his time in prison. (Courtesy Photo)

September 1,1869 – Robert T Freeman was the first Black person to graduate from Harvard Dental School. Freeman and classmate George Franklin Grant became the first blacks to enter the 1867 Harvard Dental School inaugural class of sixteen. Upon Freeman’s graduation in 1869, he and Grant became the first African American dentists in the United States. (Photo Courtesy: blackpast.org)

September 2, 1946 – Grammy award winning musician Billy Preston was born in Houston, Texas. Known for mixing of genres from soul, funk, rock to gospel, Preston was known for hit songs “Nothing for Nothing,” “Circles” and “You Are So Beautiful,” and starred in “Blues Brother 2000.” He was a contender among legendary musicians Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stone, Sly and The Family Stone. (Photo Courtesy: Credit Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)

September 3,1990 – Jonathan A. Rodgers becomes president of CBS’s television stations division, the highest ranking African American in network television that year. Rodgers had been general manager of WBBM-TV, CBS’s Chicago Station. He is president and CEO of television network, TV One. (Courtesy Photo)

September 4, 1981 – Renowned performer Beyoncé Knowles was born in Houston, Texas. She is an international singer who made her mark on the music industry with R&B group Destiny Child. Knowles debuted her solo career in 2003 with platinum and Grammy award-winning album “Crazy in Love” and has created a multitude of projects in music, film, fashion and much more. She is well respected amongst her peers and has been deemed as one of the most influential entertainers in music. (Courtesy Photo)

Sept. 5, 1859 – Harriet Wilson was the first African-American woman to publish a novel, “Our Nig,” a fictional account of her life in indenture, prejudice and tenacity in the United States. (Photo Courtesy: of Today in African American History)

Sept. 6, 1960 – Rafer Johnson becomes the first African-American to become an Olympic Decathlon winner at the Olympic Games in Rome. A UCLA alumnus, Johnson in James Bond film “License to Kill” as a DEA agent. (Courtesy Photo)

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